The Huffington Post reports that workers for retail giant Kmart have alleged the company will not let them take time off around the holidays, specifically from November 17 to 30 and December 15 to January 4.

Can employers like Kmart really force employees to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas?

However, many employers do choose to provide their workers with some holiday paid time off, as a way to boost employee morale and let workers spend time with their families. Companies like Kmart can legally be stingy about time off requests during the holidays, as long as they properly notify employees and give equal treatment to requests.

Many employers will ask retail associates to work longer shifts over busy holiday shopping periods, but normal overtime payment rules still apply. For most small business owners, that means paying employees at least "time and a half" for every hour over 40 worked during that week.

Legal Incentives to Keep Employees Working

While you aren't legally prohibited from being a miser about holiday time off, a less "bah humbug" way to keep employees working during the holiday is to offer incentives.